It doesn't take much...

"Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Luke 12:15)


Part of living deliberately--especially on a budget--means that you have to be satisfied with what you have. Or, in the words of Ms. Jennifer, Ginny's teacher:
"You get what you get, and you don't pitch a fit."

On Sunday we found ourselves with a free afternoon, scratching our heads as to how to best spend it. We thought about driving somewhere, maybe to the mall. Pluses: riding the escalators is generally a thrill for our kids, plus it's cool. Minuses: someone might want to buy something. Maybe we could go down to Belmont and go to the park. Pluses: it's free, except for the gas. Minuses: it's hotter than hell outside and Daniel will want to eat the mulch.

So, inertia being the powerful force it is, we just stayed home. And turned on the sprinklers. And, as you see, hilarity ensued.

As a parent and good consumer, you worry about providing the "right stuff" for your kids. And I'll admit it--some of the things I buy are to remedy my own ego. (Witness the occasional purchase of Capri Sun, the ne plus ultra cool-kid drink of my childhood, which I never ever got to drink as a child.) But still, you want your kid to be accepted and appropriately enriched, so you buy them Stride Rites and haul them to the Raptor Center or whatever. But sometimes it really doesn't take much, which is good for all concerned.